From the time automobiles first achieved a measure of popularity, efforts were made to prevent or discourage theft of the vehicles. While automotive vehicles are conventionally secured by means of lockable ignition switches, electrically bypassing or "jumping" such mechanisms is easily accomplished.
Other approaches have included locks for the transmission, steering, and other vehicle controls, but all of the economically manufactured versions of such designs can be defeated with relative ease.
It is generally conceded that it is impossible to absolutely secure a vehicle against an intruder who is prepared with the necessary tools for defeating a security system, and who is afforded the time necessary to do so. If it is then granted that a vehicle cannot be perfectly secured, it is then desirable to provide a level of security which, as a practical matter, cannot be easily defeated in a short period of time.
Accordingly, various accessory anti-theft devices have been developed to provide a second time-consuming obstacle to a would-be thief. One species of such accessories is the wheel lock or "boot" which generally takes the form of a mechanical device adapted to be clamped about an automobile wheel for preventing or hindering rotation of the wheel. In this manner, should the factory-installed security system of the vehicle be defeated it will be impossible or extremely difficult to drive the vehicle owing to the boot attached to the wheel thereof.
Although the basic idea of providing such an accessory is an attractive one, to date such accessories have not found widespread acceptance. This is believed in large part due to their normally heavy construction and rather high cost. A further, and also substantial, reason is believed to be the fact that it is often awkward and difficult to apply such accessories, and even more difficult to release them owing to the fact that they are generally placed beneath the vehicle, often within or beneath a fender.
It will therefore be seen that it would be desirable to provide an anti-theft device for automotive vehicles which is easily manufactured, is strong, and is both easily applied and released.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved automotive vehicle security device of the clamp-on type.
Another object of the invention is to provide an improved, clamp-on security device which may be operated with only one hand.
Yet another object is to provide a security clamp-on device which clamps directly upon the sidewalls of the tire of a vehicle.
Yet another object is to provide a security device of the clamp-on type which will automatically accommodate a wide variety of tire and wheel sizes.